Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Educating And Training The Next Generations Of Security Staff In Suicide Risk Assessment In Correctional Settings: Development Of Cultural Competencies, Ashley Christianson

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Cultural competence in suicide risk assessment has become a necessity given the demographic diversity in the U.S. corrections population and the increasing rate of suicidal behavior in jails and prisons. With few exceptions, little attention has been paid to the cultural training of both clinicians and security staff, and the development of cultural competencies in this field. This paper will focus exclusively on examining the case for cultural competence when conducting a suicide risk assessment in a correctional setting. The author reviews factors that are key in the education and training of culturally informed jail-based therapists and corrections officers, including …